Chapter 43: It feels like to be pampered by a rich sponsor

Oh, dear.

Char was stunned.

He looked up at Miss Witch but found her gazing at the sculpted pillars on the edge of the palace, as if those words hadn't come from her mouth.

To be honest, Char was quite surprised.

Although he felt that his interaction with Miss Witch was relatively harmonious, he didn't think their relationship had reached such an intimate level.

After all, she was an existence on the level of a deity, with mental prowess and the ability to face the god of the elements head-on with the towering void eye. Such a powerful individual actually cared about the strength of a small character like him?

Would she even voluntarily help him improve his strength?

With his cautious nature, Char preferred to believe that there might be additional factors at play.

Clearly, he himself didn't have a clear understanding of what he had done to Miss Witch before.

"You..." He hesitated for a moment. "Why?"

Seeming to sense that her previous words were somewhat inappropriate, Miss Witch gently lowered her head, pondered for a moment, and then spoke in a calm and unaffected tone, "The first time we met, you freed my true form from its seal."

"The second time we met, you willingly shared some of the backlash from the curse with me."

And just now, although your actions seemed foolish in my eyes..." The witch paused slightly, raising her head to gaze directly at the young man below. "From beginning to end, you never asked for any reward from me."

"So, perhaps it is better for me to ask the question 'why'."

Her piercing gaze seemed to see through Char's heart.

Clearly, Miss Witch didn't choose to completely trust his previous words.

Or perhaps she still had some reservations because, from start to finish, Char behaved with such righteousness, as if he didn't consider his own feelings at all.

Upon hearing her words, Char let out a gentle sigh.

Yes, his own motives for coming here weren't pure either, so what right did he have to question her?

So he bowed and smiled, saying, "In that case, I sincerely thank you for your generosity, madam."

Miss Witch nodded gently without saying a word.

But then, she raised her hand lightly, revealing a snow-white wrist from the long sleeves of her black veil. An invisible surge of power emerged.

"Slap! Slap!"

Sensing that the witch was about to take action against him, Stinky Mud began to churn frantically, trying to break free from the binding of the black mist and escape from the vicinity.

However, in the face of such a being, all resistance was ultimately futile.

"Hum—"

Accompanied by a resonating hum, a magical matrix with a diameter of several hundred meters quickly outlined itself on the ground, engulfing the entire hall in an instant!

With Char's limited knowledge, he couldn't determine the source of the incantations on this formation. They didn't seem to belong to any known external script.

If it were Tyrus, he might have recognized them, as linguistics was his field of study.

The crimson magic array gradually emitted a dazzling light, causing Char to squint his eyes slightly as he stood aside.

Although Miss Witch didn't say anything, Char still stood up and voluntarily moved out of the range affected by the formation, taking a few steps towards the stairs.

Unconsciously, he stood not far from Miss Witch's side.

"..."

Agnes glanced at him but remained silent.

At this moment, the Formless Demon within the formation seemed to touch a heated iron, and as soon as those cryptic and mysterious inscriptions made contact, the entire mass of viscous substance churned violently. Cold breaths emanated from it, and in some areas, distorted ripples even appeared.

Those breaths were constructed by resentful spirits, carrying screams and murmurs, causing Char's face to pale.

These were the killing intent and grudges of the Formless Demon, being purified one by one.

"It's going to counterattack."

Just then, Miss Witch suddenly spoke without preamble.

The next moment, the mass of black slime surged up, rapidly expanding in size, transforming into a towering flame dragon of immense proportions, filling the vast palace as it flapped its wings and roared!

"Roar—!!!"

Intense pressure and storms radiated in all directions.

Accompanied by a breath of flames capable of scorching all things in the world, the ferocious dragon head and dazzling fire approached, giving the sensation of truly facing an ancient creature!

However, unfortunately, no matter how terrifying the momentum of this dragon was, its impact was unable to break through the scope of the magic formation.

It was ultimately just futile rage.

Seemingly aware that its attacks couldn't even breach the defense, the form of the dragon quickly dissolved, transforming into a pool of black slime flowing on the ground.

But upon touching the formation, it spasmed once again.

In the next few minutes, Char watched helplessly as the Formless Demon repeatedly changed forms, including but not limited to: a Titan giant, a deep-sea python, a lich king, a skeletal knight...

All of them were extraordinary creatures rarely seen in reality, and each transformation perfectly showcased the characteristics of that creature.

Char felt as if he had experienced a grand performance, broadening his horizons and finding it quite entertaining.

This guy... might be able to join the circus someday, he thought to himself secretly.

And so, a long time passed.

From beginning to end, the Formless Demon couldn't escape the magic formation that was refining it, trapped like a caged bird.

Finally, after expending too much power, the frequency of the Formless Demon's transformations decreased. It lay on the ground like a limp, twitching pile of mud, completely devoid of the ability to resist.

"..."

Char was about to speak when he suddenly noticed fluctuations in the Formless Demon within the formation, reminiscent of its previous transformations.

Immediately after, to his astonished gaze, the mass of slime slowly spread out, outlining a humanoid figure.

As the silhouette gradually took shape, the once pitch-black slime transformed into fair and delicate skin. Inky black long hair grew out of nowhere, cascading down and dragging on the ground behind her.

It was a stunningly beautiful woman with a cold demeanor, sitting on the ground in a squatting position, arms crossed over her chest, staring at Char with indifferent eyes.

The most crucial point was that this person was completely naked.

Yes, truly and utterly naked.

Seeing this scene before him, Char was instantly dumbfounded, and cold sweat broke out all over his body.

Wait... Isn't that Miss Witch?

Char instinctively glanced to the side and found her expression unchanged, not making any effort to make him look away.

However, a chilling and bone-piercing aura slowly emanated from her.

"Help... me..."

The "Miss Witch" within the magic formation murmured in a cold voice, her gaze towards Char carrying a hint of helplessness.

Char decisively averted his gaze, showing no interest in the alluring sight before him.

Seriously, I've seen it all. Why would I care about this imposter?

Seeing their indifference, the "witch" within the magic formation gradually revealed a resentful expression on her face.

Then, once again, she transformed into a black humanoid slime.

But this time, she maintained a vaguely feminine figure, with curves that one could discern. She stood in the center of the formation.

"I curse..."

"I curse you, curse all of you to a wretched death!!!"

Along with the agonizing screams of the unfamiliar woman, the Formless Demon slowly knelt on the ground.

"Boom!!!"

Miss Witch raised her hand again, and an unstoppable force descended from the heavens, instantly obliterating the Formless Demon that had retained a feminine form. The black slime splattered in all directions.

Meanwhile, the magic formation emitted a brilliant red light, forcing Char to close his eyes.

Until finally, all fell silent.

It had finally come to an end.

The magic formation that covered the center slowly lost its luster, vanishing from the ground.

Although the scene had been intensely dramatic just moments ago, the hall remained as clean and pristine as ever, as if it had never been disturbed.

Floating gently above the central floor was a peculiarly radiant black droplet.

The droplet was free of impurities, exquisitely resembling a pitch-black gem.

Char glanced at the droplet, then at Miss Witch, but remained silent.

"Accept that power," Miss Witch said, disregarding the awkwardness of the previous events, as she lowered her head to read her book.

Char nodded and walked slowly toward the center of the palace.

The droplet hung quietly in mid-air. As he approached, he realized it was actually quite small, no larger than a human pupil.

It was hard to imagine that the Formless Demon, which had just transformed into a massive dragon, had been reduced to such a tiny droplet after the refinement.

Char reached out and gripped the droplet in his hand.

A cold sensation spread through his hand, and then, under his gaze, the droplet gently transformed into a liquid, melting within Char's palm. It gradually seeped downward, disappearing into his flesh.

The entire process took only a few seconds, and there was no strange sensation.

Is it over just like that?

Just as Char was puzzling over the situation, the system prompted him.

[Detected acquisition of new equipment: "Formless Demon · Ember (Phase One)," imported into the system.]

[Formless Demon · Ember (Phase One): You can transform it into any inanimate non-conceptual item according to your thoughts. When transformed into equipment, it provides the host with a 200% increase in power.]

An artifact!

Char couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment as he glanced at the explanation provided by the system.

Having a power that doubles without any limitations is just amazing, and it seems that this is only the effect of the first phase.

Is this what it feels like to be pampered by a rich sponsor?

It feels so amazing!

"I have placed a partial seal on it, so you can only unleash a small portion of its effects for now." Miss Witch turned a page in her book, speaking softly with her head lowered. "You are too weak to control such a powerful force."

"Thank you for your gift."

Char bowed once again.

"I've already said it. This is an exchange of equal value."

Miss Witch replied indifferently.

In fact, Char felt somewhat guilty as he had already taken advantage of Miss Witch's generosity by coming here. Yet she was unaware of it and still generously bestowed an artifact upon him, which made Char feel even more ashamed.

Afterward, a prolonged silence fell between the two of them.

Char, who had initially planned to have Miss Witch unleash her black mist and kill him directly, reconsidered. He chose not to go down that path.

If he were to simply leave this place, the palace would once again be left with only her.

Miss Witch wasn't someone who enjoyed initiating conversations, but she didn't seem to reject engaging in dialogue with him either.

Feeling a strange sense of guilt in his heart, Char looked at the book in Miss Witch's hand.

He recalled their second encounter when she had transformed the entire palace into a vast library, stretching endlessly beyond sight.

"Do you like reading?" he attempted to initiate a conversation.

Miss Witch didn't even lift her head, seemingly uninterested in answering such an obvious question.

Char took a deep breath and continued, "Although it may sound a bit arrogant, in the outside world, I am a bestselling author and have written many popular stories."

"Do... do you have any interest in hearing one of the stories I've written?"